//------------------------------// // The Return to Equestria // Story: Sunset Eclipsed // by EldritchNexus //------------------------------// In a dark underground bunker located beneath a grassy field, two people were sitting in a control room, talking to each other. One was a tall woman in black armor, with a grayish-green complexion and long, straight cerulean hair. The other was a younger man who was wearing kevlar. He had red eyes, grayish skin, and shaggy brown hair with blotches of green here and there. "So, commander..." said the man, speaking a low, bass voice. "How did your operatives fare in Canterbury?" “Sergeant Craw, here is our scout’s latest report.” Supreme Commander Chrysalis said, handing her officer a file. “It contains a very interesting account on an incident that occurred at Canterlot High.” Sgt. Craw took the file, and read it carefully. Inside were snapshots of what appeared to be a demon-like creature attacking the front of a high school. Around it were six teenage girls with equine features, like ears and tails. At least two or three of them even had wings. “'It was an incredible sight, unlike anything I’ve seen in months'.” Craw read the commentary from the scout. “'This pillar of light rose up from the school, and I had to investigate. Dark clouds were gathering above it, and then I saw a creature like a bat out of Hades itself, bright, red, and crowned with fire. It was attacking the building, and was performing some kind of incantation of some sort on the students there;.” “'Unfortunately, my recon was inconveniently disrupted by unforeseen circumstances.'” The sergeant paused. “Continue reading.” Chrysalis told him. “There was a chaotic mess all over the place, and the demon disappeared in some kind of multi-colored vortex that entrapped it.” The sergeant continued reading. “In its place, it left a crater in the ground. We saw another teenaged girl climb out of it. I’m going to assume that she was devoured by the demon at some point, but somehow returned when it vanished.” “And I have a profile on the girl in question.” said Chrysalis, handing him a document that looked as though it was copied from a Canterlot High School student’s file. Name: Sunset Shimmer Age: 18 Gender: Female Date of birth: N/A Place of birth: N/A Hair color: Red, with blonde streaks Eye color: Cyan Address: 202 Dodge Boulevard Grade: Senior Height: 5 feet, 8 inches. Weight: 124 lbs. Sergeant Craw looked at the featured picture of her. The picture fit the description accurately enough. The girl in the photo was wearing a black leather jacket, a striped skirt, and long black boots with crimson flames along the front. “She appears to be the most successful student at Canterlot High.” Chrysalis told Craw. “Based on our most recent analysis of the school’s student body, she has the highest grade in every class she is in.” “Impressive.” said Craw, grinning at the photo. “She’s not only a hottie, but a smart one, too. They really are a dying breed in high schools, nowadays.” “I want you to investigate this girl closely.” Said Chrysalis. “She must know about the demon, and about the strange pony-girls that fought it.” “Whatever you say, boss.” Craw nodded. “But how am I going to fit in to this spying business?” “There is a student exchange program next week.” Chrysalis told her officer. “We have already signed you up to replace one Flash Sentry, who is being transferred to Junction City High.” “And does this Flash, or Brad, or whatever his name his, have any significance with Sunset Shimmer?” Craw asked. “Yes, actually. Apparently, Flash is Sunset Shimmer’s ex-boyfriend. They broke up quite recently.” “If he broke up with her, I ought to blow his brains out for turning down a girl as good-looking as her!” Craw boasted. “Though if she broke up with him, I think I should just rub it in his face.” “Indeed.” Chrysalis nodded casually. “Are you ready to go to Canterlot High?” “I sure am.” nodded Craw. “And I promise I’ll have whatever I can find out from Sunset Shimmer before the term’s over with.” “Very good, Sergeant. The Syndicate is counting on your efforts.” “But some details on this girl do seem rather vague.” Sgt. Craw said. “It doesn’t list her blood type, her birthplace, or anything that could be more useful. Could it be possible for me to send an agent to hack into the town’s personal records?” “It would definitely be possible.” said Chrysalis. "But I would still recommend looking into her a little...closer." said a weak, but intelligent-sounding voice. Craw turned around. Framed in the doorway was none other than Intelligence Officer Embryo. A miniscule man, hardly any larger than a child, He was also very scrawny and skeletal-looking with wild hair that was the same color as Chrysalis', albeit darker. He also had big bulging eyes, a weak chin, and a long nose. He was wearing a dark, pinstriped business suit, and in his bony hands, he held a silver-tipped cane. It was hard to believe he was actually younger than the supreme commander. "Closer, sir?" asked Craw. "Of course." said Intelligence Officer Embryo. "I've decrypted and studied many false documents in the past. So you shouldn't simply trust what you read, but what you see, hear, and so forth. Investigate Sunset Shimmer closely. Watch her every move, but don't give her any reason to suspect you. Try to...befriend her, so that you will earn her trust." "Well said, brother." Chrysalis said to Embryo. "So, do I have to relay my information to you?" asked Craw. "Not yet." said Embryo, stepping into the room. "I have a very special appointment with my associates at Sombra Industries about their new project. He believes it may be able to help me with my...handicaps. Still, you should expect a word from me soon after the matter is cleared up. Until then: Good luck, sergeant. And don't fail me or my sister." "Thank you, sir." Craw nodded, leaving the room. "So, what is this project?" asked Chrysalis, once Craw was gone. "I'm afraid most of it will have to be kept secret...for now." said Embryo. "They call it Project Umbriel. They also have a few more things in store for our organization in the near future. It's quite exciting when you think about it." He grinned slowly. APPROX. ONE MONTH LATER... It was the late evening for the twenty-ninth time since Twilight Sparkle returned to Equestria from the human world. Listening to the sounds of the night, a teenage girl wearing a leather jacket, purple t-shirt, striped skirt, and long black boots sat at the open window of her apartment to look out on the streets below. She looked vigilantly for anything that looked unfriendly. She had a rusty sledgehammer in her left hand, and her right hand was adjusting the dial on the radio. Eventually, the girl stopped it on a station that was in the middle of a news announcement. "…The reported terrorist activity in the vicinity of Canterlot High School has yet to be verified by the Canterbury Police Department." said a news reporter on the radio. "Until then, these are rumors. Canterlot City officials are doing their best to contain whatever remains of the recent gang war dpwmtpwm, but until then: all listeners at home in the surrounding suburbs are advised to keep an eye out for any suspicious persons wandering the streets, especially in the dead of night. They may in fact be armed and dangerous. Whatever you do, do not…" The girl flicked the switch on the radio, silencing it. She put the sledgehammer down on the bed, and then took a moment to run her yellowish-tan fingers through her long wavy hair, which was mostly red, but also had blonde-colored streaks. "Great, now there might be a terrorist group in this town!" said the girl, stressed. "As if I don't have enough reasons for me to get out of here. Okay, let’s try that number again." She took a cell phone off of her bed, and began dialing. After a few seconds, she seemed to have gotten an answer. "Hey, it’s Sunset Shimmer--" the girl began. "Hello, you’ve reached the Craw Residence...at least for the duration of my time at Canterlot High." said a recording on the phone. "I’m sorry that I can’t be here to answer your call, but I’m out hunting at the moment…" “Hunting? Of all the--" Sunset muttered angrily. But Craw's pre-recorded voice continued: "…If you have anything you need me to know, I’ll return later to hear your message. Just leave it after the beep." When she heard the phone beep, Sunset Shimmer took a deep breath, and spoke with a stressed voice into the speaker. "Craw, it’s Sunset." she began. "Please listen to me. I don’t know why you ran from me last week, but I need you to just hear me out on this. I’m scared out of my mind right now. I don’t think I can stay in this town anymore. I think someone’s out to get me! I need to leave now! Since I don’t think I’ll ever come back, I want to let you know that I had the time of my life with you. You’ve been nicer to me than any other person I can think of, at least since Flash Sentry. Boy, do I miss him. And I’m going to miss you, too." Sunset took another deep breath, then continued: "Oh, and there’s something you need to know. I wanted to keep it a surprise, but since I don’t think I’ll ever get the chance to speak to you again, I’ll say it here. I’m actually a--" But before Sunset could finish, the phone suddenly made a rapid series of beeps. "We are sorry for the inconvenience, but this telephone’s message box has exceeded its capacity." said an electronic voice. "Please hang up, and try again later." Sunset Shimmer growled fiercely at this obvious glitch. "Oh, come on!" she shouted. "I can’t even say my goodbyes to my friends?! Stupid phone!" Sunset hung up the phone, and chucked it across the room. She then took a moment to calm down. Suddenly, the phone began to buzz loudly: apparently somebody just sent her a text message. She quickly ran over to pick up the phone to see if it was Craw, but instead: Tonight's your lucky night, Sunset Shimmer. Go to the statue immediately. WATCH YOUR BACK. -K.N. "K.N.? Who in the world is K.N.?" Sunset wondered aloud. "And how does this guy know about the statue?" She sighed. "Whatever. I’m pretty much doomed, anyway." she muttered to herself. "Time to get out of Dodge." Sunset Shimmer went out of her apartment, ignoring that she didn't properly shut the door. She went downstairs and passed by the landlord's desk. "Well, if it ain’t the grand ruler of Room 32." announced the man at the desk. "You’re up awfully late, Sunset Shimmer. Come to think of it, you’ve been up late for every day of this month, so far. Is there something you’d like to share with me?" "No, nothing at all." Sunset shook her head. "At least, nothing you have to worry about." "Let me guess: You’re going on a date with somebody, right?" joked the landlord. "Well, I got some text message from someone with the initials K.N.." said Sunset. "Whoever it is wants me to go to the statue in front of CHS. Said it was my lucky day." "Sounds like you got a secret admirer." said the landlord, snidely. "Mr. Flake, do you happen to know anyone with those initials?" asked Sunset. "Nah." said Mr. Flake, dismissively. "But are you seriously gonna go now, with all that talk about gangs and terrorists up in the city? I heard some of them might be headed outwards to do Lord-Knows-What." "Don't worry, I'll be fine." said Sunset. "If things go wrong, I can handle myself." "Are you sure, Sunset?" "Besides, it's not like I'm going out to stir up trouble!" said Sunset. "It's just going to be a quick walk there and back, and nothing more." Mr. Flake nodded his head. "Fine, Sunset." he told her, reluctantly. "Just don’t get in trouble with anybody you don’t recognize. It’s bad for business if my tenants get put in the hospital…or the morgue. Well, I’ve got to get myself a little shut-eye. Good night, Sunset." When Mr. Flake went through a door that led to his bedroom, Sunset Shimmer walked out the front door, and onto Dodge Boulevard. She decided not to pack anything with her, since she believed her belongings would no longer remain of use to her once she went back to Equestria. Instead, she simply wore the same exact clothes she wore when she first came to the human world. Whether it was poignant or not, she didn't care. She just wanted to leave Canterbury, and not look back. Sunset Shimmer was walking down the street, towards the intersection that led to Canterlot High. She suddenly saw several dark shapes on the road ahead, and heard a loud roaring noise. Her instincts made her think of dragons, but she knew that none existed in this world. Then she remembered what the sound originated from: the engines of a motorcycle. But this was an entire chorus of those engine roars. "Oh my gosh." Sunset gasped, clasping her hands to her mouth when she saw what the dark shapes were. Around twenty or thirty people on motorcycles were speeding along the road from the direction Sunset Shimmer was facing. She had never seen so many bikers in one place. She had always marveled at those two-wheeled vehicles like bicycles and motorcycles, and the way that humans rode them as if they were riding on horses. That is, if said horse was a non-living contraption of metal and rubber. But Sunset couldn't help but feel disturbed by what she saw; she knew for a fact that nobody in their right mind would host a motorcycle rally this late at night in the middle of the sleepy suburbs. For that matter, she didn't recall there being any motorcycle clubs in Canterbury, or at least none that large. She quickly got off the sidewalk, and hid behind a set of garbage cans lined up in front of a nearby bakery called Joe's Donuts. She crouched down, and peered at the bikers as they passed by. They were all wearing studded leather jackets with the image of a gryphon emblazoned on the back, dark blue denim jeans, yellow gloves, brown hiking boots, and gold-rimmed goggles. Sunset could've sworn she saw a few of them carrying weapons on their belts, but they passed by too quickly before she could verify this. Once the last biker, a woman with short platinum-blonde hair, disappeared into the night, Sunset Shimmer sprinted for the intersection, and stopped to turn around. "What was that all about?" she said to herself, looking down the other way to see if any more motorcycle-riding thugs--which Sunset Shimmer was certain they were--would be passing by there. "I guess those gangs are spreading outwards! What's going on around here? Where'd those guys--Never mind. I'm not even going to hang around to find out, anyway." Once again, the streets were stark and silent. Sunset took a quick jog down the road that led to Canterlot High. She stopped at the massive building's front lawn, and went over to the statue that stood in the middle of the front lawn. She looked around again to make sure nobody was following her, then proceeded to bang her fist on the base of the statue that served as the hidden portal to Equestria. “Darn it, open up!” growled Sunset Shimmer. “I’ve had it here! I wanna go back to my home! I want to return to Equestria!” Nothing happened. Again. "Please!" she groaned, desperately. "I don't want anything to do with this place again! If I ever get out of here, I'll do everything I can to learn about friendship! You hear me, Twilight? I'll even follow your example, if necessary!" But despite the efforts of Sunset, the portal still wasn’t active. Irritated, she kicked the base of the statue with all her might. This proved to be a bad decision. Now her cyan eyes were watery and her booted foot was throbbing in pain. There was a sound of police sirens in the distance. “And that…is why…I want to go back!” Sunset hissed through her pain stricken face. "Nobody wants me here! Even I don't want me here!" She did have some friends here in the human world, or at least some classmates that sufficed as friends. Apart from the human counterparts of Twilight Sparkle's friends, there was also Flash Sentry, who was her ex-boyfriend, and finally Craw, the exchange student from Junction City that switched places with Flash earlier in the month. But Twilight's human friends couldn't truly understand her situation, Flash was attending a high school in a different city, and Craw ran away from her in a fit of rage just a few nights ago. In other words, Sunset was all alone now. "Why did he run off like that, anyway?" Sunset thought, remembering their last night together. "I couldn't have done anything that offended him! Even if I did, he would've told me what I did wrong!" “Sunset Shimmer, you aren’t trying to vandalize that statue, are you?” a voice said. Sunset turned around to find that she was being watched by a muscular man in a police uniform, whose skin was silvery-white and hair was bluish-black. “No, Officer Armor.” Sunset Shimmer shook her head, with a nervous grin on her face. “I was just…breathing in the night air!” “At this time?” Captain Shining Armor said. “And why are you clutching your foot like that?” “I bumped it, duh!” Sunset snapped. “And yes, I’m just taking nightly walks nowadays. Is that too much to ask for?” “Normally, no.” Officer Armor said. “But I got an enormous report from Lt. Soarin’ about some reports of gang activity around the school. And I've gotta warn you, considering your...reputation around here. If you are involved in any of this--” “I'm not.” Sunset told him quickly. “And would you people seriously arrest me just for walking around outside?” “I’m just trying to keep things peaceful around here, Sunset.” “Well, good luck with that.” Sunset said, flatly. “Thank you.” said Officer Armor. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to make sure the suburbs don't get torn apart on my watch.” “Thanks…” Sunset Shimmer said with a grin, before quickly adding before Shining Armor was out of earshot. "Hey, you wouldn't happen to know anyone named K.N., would you?" "Actually, I don't think I've heard of anyone in this town with those initials." said Shining Armor. "Why?" "Um...no reason." said Sunset. "Well, I'll see you later?" "We'll see." said Officer Armor, before leaving. "Stay safe!" As soon as Officer Shining Armor disappeared around the corner, Sunset Shimmer sat against the base of the statue, on the side that she had been pounding earlier. She let out a yawn, and wondered how many more nights she could risk attempting to open the portal and who K.N. was, when suddenly the school’s clock struck twelve, and a streak of moonlight passed over her. “What in the…?” Sunset jumped to her feet, and turned around to the base of the statue was now shimmering. “I can’t believe it! Is this seriously happening?!” She distinctly remembered researching that the portal would only open every thirty moons, which meant that it shouldn’t have opened for another two years or so. But apparently, it could actually open every thirty nights. “Woo-hoo!” Sunset Shimmer celebrated this revelation as loud as she could, as if to happily declare to this world that she would be out of there forever. “Equestria, here I come!” She didn’t even stop to pay attention to someone yelling “Shut up, you crazy lady!” from their upstairs window across the street. However, she was definitely surprised by a sudden, loud rustling coming from a nearby bush, even if she didn't see the dark figure that jumped out from behind it. She could hear hurried footfalls that sounded like metal on concrete. Sunset Shimmer heard a clicking noise, and something cold and metal jab her in the back of her head: Someone was holding her at gunpoint! "Don't you dare move, Sunset Shimmer!" said a strange, distorted voice. "Stay still, or I'll pump you full of lead!" Though she was unable to see the man speaking to her, she could tell that he wasn't a police officer, and the strange filter on his voice ruled out the possibility of him being one of those bikers. "Who are you?!" Sunset squealed. "What did I do--" she paused. "Hey, you wouldn't happen to know anyone name K.N., would--" "Shut up, you!" the gunman whispered menacingly, moving some kind of mobile phone to the side of Sunset's head. "Speak into it. There's someone on the other end that wants to talk to you." Scared out of her mind, Sunset took the phone, and spoke into it. "Hel...hello?" she said. "Hello, my dear Sunset." said a familiar voice on the phone. "Do you recognize my voice?" "Craw?" Sunset Shimmer asked, when she remembered the speaker's voice. "Is that really you?" "That's Sergeant Craw!" Craw said to her in an eerily calm voice. "And how are you doing this lovely, lonely night, my little pony?" "Craw, please!" Sunset pleaded to her friend on the phone. "You've got to help me! There's a man aiming a gun at my head!" "Good!" Craw's voice continued to speak. "That's what I sent him to do!" Sunset Shimmer gasped. "I can't believe you, Craw!" Sunset whimpered. "You're my friend!" "Unfortunately, that's not the case." said Craw's voice. "To tell you the truth, I was sent to this town to investigate that little incident last month at the school. I'm sure you know the one. I was told to befriend you, so that you would tell me everything you knew without being suspicious." "Why are you doing this, though?" asked Sunset. "Because I found out what you are: Some kind of...humanized equine. You weren't just involved in the incident, you were one of its contributing factors! That's why I'm going to take you somewhere where you and I can have a quiet, civilized discussion about out 'relationship', and you can explain everything to me." Sunset was suspicious. She knew there was even more to it than what Craw was telling her. "If you wanna talk to me, then why did you send some whackjob with a rifle after me?" Sunset asked. "This is really pathetic, and you know it." "Pathetic?!" Sgt. Craw repeated. "Pathetic? I'm just doing my job, woman. Do you have any idea how long I've been scoping out this town? This is just me following orders! I bet you wouldn't know what it's like when--!" Sunset Shimmer was fuming as she listened to Craw's rant. His hateful words burned deeply into her subconscious. But there was nothing she could do about it. If she tried shouting back, the man would shoot her. If she hung up, the man would shoot her. If she tried running away... "Yeah, no hope there, either." She thought. "Really, what's going on here? Why would these people be after me for this? I can understand the Fall Formal, but why the fact that I'm a pony? Craw probably doesn't mean this at all. He sounds freaked-out about something. Whatever. I really don't have time for this." She lowered the hand that held the phone for a moment, only to feel something cold and metallic force it back against her ear. She was subjected to Craw's rantings at maximum volume, and was forbidden from even moving the source of the noise away from her ear. She felt what was unmistakably the butt of a rifle nudge her in the abdomen. "Keep listening, or you'll just make him angrier." crackled the sinister voice of the gunman behind her. Heeding his words, Sunset waited for Craw to finish, and then she spoke into the phone. "Craw, honey?" she asked calmly. "I'd like to ask you something." On the phone's receiver, Sunset heard Craw's distorted voice groaning. "Then ask away, my beloved horse-woman." he said to her, through what sounded like barred teeth. "What are you going to do when you get here?" asked Sunset. "Nothing nefarious...unless you try running away." said Craw. "Look, I've really got to leave." said Sunset. "I'm sure that you'll have a lot of fun with me, but I've got a life of my own to get back to. Okay? I'll see you again...never." "I'm afraid that my organization wouldn't like that, too much." said Craw. "The Syndicate just doesn't like it when its soldiers waste their time on targets. If you want to prove you're not a target, you'll be quiet and do what we say like a good little girl...pony...whatever you are." Sunset sighed. "All right." she said. "Just don't keep me waiting, honey." Craw's voice laughed sinisterly as it crackled through the receiver. "Okay, then. Consider it a date!" he said, with a sinister edge to his voice. "Hold that thought, sweetie." "Wait, before you come here..." Sunset said quickly. "Yes...?" said Craw's voice, wearily. "Do you know who K.N. is?" said Sunset. "Because I got a message from some guy--" Suddenly, the phone went silent, indicating that the call was over. There was some static coming from the gunman behind Sunset Shimmer; Craw was relaying instructions directly to his subordinate's headgear: "I'm coming over as soon as I can, Ghost. I don't know if I'm going to kill Sunset or not. Just keep her where she is. And whatever you do, don't let her escape, or make a scene. So don't hurt her before I come over there." Then the static faded. "Alright, pony." the gunman stated. "The Sarge is on his way. You happy now?" "Yeah, why not?" Sunset Shimmer said, sarcastically. "It's not like I have anything better to do than be interrogated by a bunch of gun-toting lunatics." The man behind her was fitting armor-piercing rounds into his firearm, which he then jabbed against her back threateningly. "That's enough out of you, horse-lady." he growled. "Get your sorry flank down to your knees, and stay there. Don't make this harder for yourself than it already is." Sunset Shimmer voluntarily sank down so that she was on all fours. It had been ten minutes now, and the portal was still seemingly opened, even if the gunman didn't notice. But she had a feeling that it would close very soon. "If something doesn't happen very soon..." Sunset Shimmer thought impatiently. "I'll never be able to return to Equestria! I need to get through that portal now!" She was true to her word; No matter what the ponies on the other side of the portal might do to her, she knew that they wouldn't try to execute her in such a humiliating manner. Her prayers seem to have been answered; a police siren was wailing, and a squad car had pulled up on the curve behind the gunman. Three officers climbed out, holding tasers and nightsticks in their hands. One of them called out on the car's megaphone: "Step away from the girl, sir! Drop your weapon immediately, or we will be forced to use drastic measures!" "What a good joke, officers." Craw's enforcer guffawed. "Now here's something that isn't a joke: This girl, as you call her, is actually a pony!" "For your information, whoever your are." Sunset groaned in disgust. "I'm a unicorn! At least, I'm supposed to be one..." "Keep your mouth shut!" the enforcer hissed through his armored mask, casually treading on Sunset Shimmer's jacket-covered back with his armored boot. "I don't give a rat's behind what kind of magical horse you're supposed to be. Now don't break my concentration again, or I'll turn you into a tub of glue! You're really starting to irritate me." Sunset Shimmer defiantly spat on the ground. "You know, if we were in Equestria, and my brother knew that I was in trouble, you idiots would all be dead right now." retorted Sunset, rolling her eyes. "Honestly, people here get obsessed over the dumbest things." the man with the gun promptly grabbed Sunset Shimmer by her hair, and tugged her back up. Sunset couldn't help but whimper. "What you fail to understand, my little pony, is that you're at my complete mercy." growled the enforcer ominously. "As long as you're here, you belong to me. Your fate is in my hands. Now keep quiet, or I'll strike you down with more power than you can possibly imagine!" "I don't know, I can imagine quite a bit." grumbled Sunset. Then he pressed his foot down harder on Sunset's back even harder than before. "Just shut up! Keep your freakin' mouth shut!" He then proceeded to punch Sunset several times in the back. Sunset Shimmer winced in pain under the beating she received, but fought hard not to cry out. "Enough! We're not joking around!" a second officer shouted. "Stop hurting that poor girl, and step away from her now! Practicing lethal force in public is one of the most serious crimes you could be punished for in these parts!" "Well, guess what, officers?!" the gunman laughed. "As it turns out: I'm above your petty laws, and I'll prove it right now!" A loud gunshot filled the night air. One of the officers went back into the car to call the police station for backup, while the other two brandished their Colt .45 pistols and starting unleashing suppressing fire on the enforcer. Luckily for Sunset Shimmer, the gunman's weapon was simply fired into the air. The confusion gave her enough time to pull off her escape: She bucked hard with her legs in true pony fashion into the gunman's shins, even as he was distracted by the policemen. She quickly jumped to her feet, and turned to see the man who had been troubling her. She saw before her probably one of the scariest things she'd ever seen in her life: The man was wearing skeletal black armor of some kind, and was sporting an insectoid-looking mask on his obscured face. "Are you ready to see Death itself, pony?" droned the filtered voice of the enforcer. "No bucking way!" snarled Sunset Shimmer in response, a feral sensation burning in her green eyes. "I'm not afraid of a creep like you! And right now, I'm gonna show you how we handle things in Equestria!" She threw herself onto the armored man, and who just barely took her weight. The policemen ceased firing their guns, afraid they might hit the brave (or reckless) girl that was now wrestling with the gunman that had her on her knees just seconds before. "I can't believe this!" said Ghost as he fought Sunset. "You're just an animal...a farm animal!" "Yeah, well if I'm a farm animal, then you're a stupid barnyard yokel!" Sunset retorted, swiftly kicking Ghost in the shin, grabbing the firearm from his hands, and whacking him across the face with it so that he staggered backwards in a daze. "Yippie-kai-aye, cowboy!" And then she detached the clip from the rifle, then threw it and the gun back at Ghost in disgust. "That's it, you're so fu--!" Ghost began. "Now's our chance, men!" said the police sergeant, who cocked his freshly-loaded pistol. "Let this guy have it!" The officers crowded together, and began discharging their weapons at Ghost. The sudden attack took Ghost by complete surprise, since he had completely forgotten the policemen. While the bullets didn't harm the enforcer, it did prompt him to turn away from Sunset Shimmer to reload and return fire. The moment she heard gunfire, Sunset immediately dove away from the ensuing firefight, rolled against the statue’s base, and was relieved that she didn’t crash into it. In fact, she went straight through it, and through the familiar vortex that transported people between the two worlds. Once again, she felt her anatomy shifting about, compressing her chest and limbs and shifting her head into its original equine shape. She felt a horn grow from the top of her forehead, her clothes vanish, and her amber-colored body develop a matching coat of fur. She could also feel something extending from her lower back. After a minute or two, Sunset Shimmer found herself rolling into the chamber of a castle. The same castle that only a month ago, she had stolen Twilight Sparkle’s Element of Harmony from. After bumping into a closed door, Sunset turned back to where she had entered to gaze into the mirror that acted as that side’s entrance to the portal. She was now looking at a yellow unicorn with a mane and tail that matched the hair that the teenage girl had: Long, curly, and red with streaks of blonde here and there. Curiously, Sunset decided to test the mirror one last time, to see if it still worked. But she only felt hard glass; Apparently, these thirty-night periods of usage involving the mirror were one-way trips, except after the passing of thirty moon cycles. Sunset took a moment to think about the events that occurred: The sudden gang activity, the mysterious text message, and above all: the power-armored soldier that just tried to kill her. It was all very strange to her. "I don't know who this K.N. guy is, but he I think he just saved my life." Sunset said quietly to herself. "But who is he, and how'd he know about the statue and that it would open for me?" Suddenly, her thoughts were distracted by the sound of hoof-falls outside. “Who’s in there?” said the voice of a guard outside. Sunset Shimmer turned around and gasped. All she had on her mind at that moment was to hide, as she wasn’t ready yet to face the Princesses. She galloped up to the side of the doorway, to wait for the guard to enter. When the door was pushed open, an orange Pegasus that seemed oddly familiar to Sunset trotted in, with the handle of a lantern between his teeth. “Is anyone in here?” the guard said, looking around the room for intruders. Thinking quickly and desperately, Sunset Shimmer crept up to him, and cleared her throat. She pretended to look happy to see him. "Hi there." she said. "What can I do for a big, strong pegasus like you?" the guard turned his head in her direction. "Wait a minute, who are you?" he asked. "I don't remember seeing you around here. In fact, I don't think anypony's supposed to be in here." Then the yellow unicorn leaned against the pegasus in a flirtatious manner. "I'm the mare you always wanted." she answered, nuzzling against his neck. "You're a lovely lady and all, but you didn't answer my question." said the pegasus guard, trying hard not to seem fazed by the reddish-blonde unicorn's advances. "Who are you?" "Somepony looking for excitement around here." answered Sunset Shimmer. "I haven't seen another pony in such a long time. I could sure use some...company." Then the pegasus recognized the mare he was conversing with, then gave her a rather displeased look. "Sunset Shimmer, I'm placing you under arrest." he said. "Sorry." Then Sunset pulled herself away from the orange pegasus guard, and quickly pulled off a spell that flooded the room with a bright light. The guard took off into the air and attempted to subdue the unicorn, but failed to hit his mark when she teleported and reappeared behind him. Sunset took the opportunity to escape, and darted out of the opened door. Before she left, she poked her head back through the doorway. “Sorry, Flash. You just missed me!” she snickered mischievously. She broke into a mad gallop through the empty halls, and rushed past two more guards. They shouted after her, but she ignored them. Sunset was quietly coughing as she went; Though her body was changed again, she could still feel herself aching from where the armored enforcer had previously hit her, particularly the top-end of her tail, and the sides of her ribs. “Come on!” Sunset Shimmer muttered under her breath. “The exit has to be someplace around here!” She quickly turned a corner, to see three guards obstructing her path. “Who are you, and how’d you get in here?” one of them proclaimed. “Tell us why you’re here, or we’ll be forced to arrest you.” Sunset then realized that the guards were all earth ponies. “Oh, please!” She scoffed, raising her head to cast a spell. She teleported behind the guards, and fled again before they realized where she went. She stumbled onto a low balcony with a twenty-foot drop into a large fountain. She looked up at the sky to see that it was the early morning. She saw various ponies trotting around in the streets beyond the fountain. “Where am I, anyway?” Sunset asked aloud. A number of raised voices behind her forced the unicorn to cut her thoughts short. She decided to make a leap of faith into the fountain, not stopping to think about how deep or shallow it might be. She bounded into the air, and splashed into icy-cold water. As soon as she descended, one of the earth pony guards made it to the balcony, just in time to see the silhouette of the intruder fall into the fountain below. “Captain, she just got away, sir!” he shouted back at the other guards. “Should we go after her?” “Of course you should find her!” Shining Armor replied, galloping up to his guard. “She’ll probably be the only non-crystal pony in the city at this time of the day!” “Yes, sir!” the guard said, galloping to reach the main entrance. Sunset Shimmer was incredibly stressed now. She had barely set hoof outside the castle, and not only was she soaking wet, but she was already undergoing sensory overload from the extremely bright sheen of the ponies around her. Half-blinded by the sunlight reflecting off of the Crystal Ponies, she shouted for them to move aside. Her ears were still able to tell her that a stampede of guards was in hot pursuit of her, and was running about along every alley and street she could’ve crossed through. Eventually, she wound up colliding with an old crystal-coated stallion that was crossing the main road on his walkers, and lay on the pavement, dizzily lolling about. Soon enough, the guards caught up to her. “What were you doing in the palace?” one of them demanded. “Were you attempting to rob the Princess?” “No!” Sunset shook herself back into focus. “I was simply in the wrong place, at the wrong time.” Suddenly, a large white unicorn stallion in body armor approached her, parting the crowd of guards in two. “You must be Sunset Shimmer.” said Shining Armor. “My sister and wife told me all about you.” “Then you’re Shining Armor?” the mare asked. “Yeah. How’d you know?” “Lucky guess.” “You have a lot to answer for, especially to the Princesses.” “Ugh…seriously?” Sunset growled. “I can’t even set hoof in my own homeland without being officially questioned for something I did a month ago?” “Unfortunately…” Shining Armor began. Sunset heard the sound of wings beating overhead, and then hooves hitting the ground hard. “You can’t.” added the voice of Princess Cadence. “You’re in serious trouble, young lady. I'm sorry, but you'll have to take it up with Celestia and Luna.” Sunset Shimmer groaned in defeat, and crossed her front legs in a pout.